Indianapolis hoping cold weather doesn't alter recent road success

INDIANAPOLIS - The Indianapolis Colts expect cold and noise for their next game at Kansas City. They're confident they'll overcome both - as well as the Chiefs.

''Hopefully once we get in the stadium, we'll warm up and be fine,'' linebacker Marcus Washington said Wednesday. ''We've been great on the road all year, so I think we'll be OK.''

Kansas City (13-3) has won 13 straight at Arrowhead Stadium, and teams that play home games in domes are just 11-32 when they venture into the frigid outdoors come playoff time.

Nevertheless, the Colts (13-4) have beaten the Chiefs in six straight games, four of those in Kansas City, and lead their overall series 8-6.

Only one team with a dome, St. Louis in 1999, has won a Super Bowl. And the Colts' most recent playoff trip to a cold-weather site was their 41-0 loss to the New York Jets last year.

The Colts believe they'll beat the odds in the divisional round Sunday, just as they have all season. They're the AFC's best road team at 7-1.

''We've had that all year, playing in a hostile environment, and we seem to find ways to win,'' wide receiver Reggie Wayne said. ''It's just something you've got to prepare for.''

It would appear Indianapolis' offense would be more susceptible to loud venues than other teams because Peyton Manning frequently changes play calls at the line of scrimmage.

Instead, the Colts have thrived. This year, they won at Buffalo, Tennessee and Cleveland in stadiums where loud fans are the norm.

But the crowd at Kansas City is different.

''When you're playing in the game, it's ridiculous,'' Chiefs defensive tackle Ryan Sims said. ''You can't even make calls in the huddle.''

The Colts haven't appeared to be bothered much by cold weather, either.

Last year, they survived a December trip to Cleveland, and a snowy Sunday night at Denver when Mike Vanderjagt booted two field goals longer than 50 yards for a 23-20 overtime win.

Then there's the Colts' last playoff road victory: a 10-7 upset at Kansas City in 1995.

They may even get a break with Sunday's weather. The National Weather Service is forecasting a mostly cloudy day with a high around 46.

While the Chiefs hold the home-field advantage this week, quarterback Trent Green believes it won't have much bearing on the experienced Colts.

''They played at Tennessee and I think that kind of rivals Arrowhead,'' Green said. ''When you consider Peyton's been under center for quite a few years, I think that's a big help.''

It's obvious the Colts prefer warm weather - or even a controlled environment like the RCA Dome.

Edgerrin James, who grew up in Florida and played college football at the University of Miami, acknowledged last week that the Colts haven't played well in chilly weather.

On Wednesday, Wayne, a Louisiana native who also attended Miami, said it was ''tough'' to play in the cold.

Coach Tony Dungy experienced similar problems in his six seasons at Tampa Bay, where he never won when the temperature dipped below 40 degrees. He believes the Colts have an advantage because they live in a city where the temperature hit single-digits and the wind chill dropped below zero this week.

''Peyton's been very good just about every place we've been since I've been here,'' Dungy said. ''The snow in Denver, the cold weather in Cleveland, I think he'll be fine. While we play in a dome, we live here, so it's not like we can't adjust to it like in Tampa Bay.''

To prepare for Sunday's conditions, Dungy held Wednesday's practice inside but opened the doors to give his players a dose of reality.

Dungy just hopes they respond Sunday the way they have in his first two seasons when the Colts have gone 12-5 on the road.

''We don't worry about what's happened in the past, what other teams do,'' he said. ''We think we can handle the noise. It's hard being on the road, but we don't let people tell us we can't win.''